Absence
by resile
Summary: Rose isn't here right now.


Thank you to Scullywolf for the read through!

Prompt from gallifreyanathearts on Tumblr:

Any!Doctor x Rose, "She's been missing for almost a week. How can you not be worried?"

* * *

**Absence**

* * *

"She's been missing for almost a week—"

"Rose is just taking some time to herself."

"Still. She's gone. How can you not be worried?" Jake watched him with pitying eyes.

"She'll be back." He paused in thought. "Probably just spending a bit of time with her mum. Her brother. It's normal to have some distance in a relationship."

"Rose doesn't seem like the type to just leave without—"

The Doctor interrupted him. "Isn't it? Normal? Having a little time apart?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it's normal."

"Exactly. She'll be home soon."

"Do you wanna tell me what happened, mate?"

"Nothing." The Doctor sniffed. "Nothing happened. She just needs some time to herself."

"Did you have a fight? You can tell me. I won't tell her anything. Every bloke needs a mate to talk to about things."

"Yeah. Yep. A fight, that's it. I was an arse, she packed up and left. Say, do you mind coming 'round later? There's a few things I need to take care of. Best if you go."

"Yeah. Sure." Jake stood, brushing off his hands, and moved towards the door of the small flat. "When you hear from her, tell her I stopped by."

"'Course. Absolutely, Jake-a-rino! Soon as I hear from her. Next few hours, tops."

"Right." Jake saw himself out, closing the door behind him.

* * *

"Hello, love," said Jackie over the phone the next day. "Is Rose in?"

"Not yet."

"Where's she got off to?"

"Well, that's a bit hard to say. How long ago did she leave you?"

Jackie let out a 'ha.' "Left me in the dust when she met you, didn't she? Where is she? Tell her to ring me when she gets home."

"Will do!"

They hung up.

* * *

Hours passed. She must've gone back to Jackie's after all.

* * *

Did he normally sleep this much? Was he sleeping at all?

The answer phone was flashing red. He hit the button.

"Rose? Doctor? Tell my daughter she owes me a call. Haven't heard from her in _ages_. And you both owe me a visit, too! Love you. Come 'round soon!"

Well, it wasn't his fault Rose decided to go to Paris with a mate. Everyone was entitled to a bit of fun with friends.

He dialed her back, got her answer phone. "Hello Jackie! Rose is on a trip with a friend. Give her a call on her mobile."

* * *

A week later, all his bananas had gone brown and the bread had gone moldy. Did he normally finish those before they spoilt?

There was a knock at the door.

"Pete Tyler!" The Doctor smiled.

"Doctor." Pete's face was dark, concerned. "You don't look well."

"Hello! Rose is on that field mission to Papua New Guinea. Thought you were with her. But it's a pleasure to see you."

Pete didn't move from the doorway. "Rose isn't—"

"Oh, don't tell me it's going to be a few days longer than we expected. You know how I worry when she goes on field missions without me."

"No, it's—"

"I understand. She's got responsibilities. Can't expect it all to be about me. Anyway, best if you go. I've got lots to do around here."

In the doorway, Pete stopped, looking the Doctor up and down.

"I think Rose is in trouble," Pete said, face careful and calculating.

"What, with Torchwood? She's a troublemaker, Pete. Knew it when you took her on. That's why you've assigned her to South America for the month, isn't it?"

"Rose is sick."

"Best keep her in isolation a few more days, then. Shame I can't go see her myself, but I understand it's for the best."

"She's gone MIA on her field mission."

"Of course she has. I've just heard from her via phone. She's infiltrated the Frungian inner circle."

"Rose is dead."

"Nah! She's out with her mum. Don't be silly. Didn't Jackie tell you?"

"Doctor, I need you to come with me."

"Another time, Pete." The Doctor shut the door. Locked it. Moved the sofa against it for good measure.

* * *

"Doctor, open up!"

Jake's voice was grating. Very grating.

"Rose is out right now!" He sat on the sofa, back to the door.

"Doctor, you're sick. Open up."

"No, see, I'm feeling quite well."

"I can smell the rubbish from out here, Doctor. Have you left the flat at all? Eaten anything?"

He couldn't remember. "If you're looking for Rose, I think she's out getting groceries. Come back later."

"Open up or we'll knock the door down." That was Pete.

"I dunno what you'd knock the door down for. Rose isn't here."

"Doctor," said Jake, "Rose has been missing for two weeks. You're sick. You can't seem to understand—"

"Of course she's been gone for two weeks! She's on a field mission, Jakey-boy! Keep up. And stay out, while you're at it."

"He won't listen," said Pete. "Don't think he can. On three. One… two…" There was a smash against the door, but it didn't budge.

The Doctor got out his sonic. Buzzed it around a bit.

"Pete. Jake. Hello! Unless I'm very much mistaken, and I'm usually not, you won't be able to knock the door in with my furniture in front of it. Oh! And I've sonicked all the seams and frames. Reinforced."

There was a grunt on the other side of the door.

"Why'd you do all that?" Jake asked.

He wasn't sure.

"Rose is out right now, Jake. Think she went to the shops with her mother."

"Pete, let's just go."

"We can't let him starve himself to death in there."

"We need to focus on getting her back. Doctor—" Jake's voice was annoyed. Frustrated. "Do you remember _anything_ about Rose's disappearance? When? How? Best we can tell, it was thirteen days ago, but you were the first person I talked to, and I didn't realise at first—"

"We had a fight," the Doctor said. "Now she's with her mother on a field mission."

"He's hopeless," Jake said, and cursed under his breath.

The other side of the door went quiet after that.

* * *

Time was passing. Wasn't it?

"We found her, Doctor!" Jake's voice was excited, happy on the other side of the door.

"Hello, Jake!" He sat on the couch. Didn't bother opening the door. "How's your day going?"

"Didn't you hear me? We found Rose!"

"Oh, Rose? She's out at the shops with K-9. A few more hours. Thanks for dropping by!"

"She's hurt. Not bad. Just has to be under observation overnight. You can see her. You don't even have to let me in. Just come out."

"See you later, Jakey! Thanks for dropping by." The Doctor stood, sonicked the door again, and wandered into his bedroom.

* * *

Someone was jiggling the door knob.

"Doctor?"

That voice.

"Doctor, please let me in."

"Rose?"

It all came flooding back.

He was jumping towards the sofa before he'd registered moving at all. He pulled it aside, even though it hurt, oh, it hurt so much to use his arms. He found the sonic on the floor and un-sealed the door, throwing it open.

There she was. She threw herself into his arms and he pulled her inside, threw himself down on the sofa, which was poised at an awkward diagonal angle across the room. He was weeping into her shoulder, and he was so parched already, but his tears were draining out of him, unstoppable. She held him just as tightly, whispered soothing words into his ear.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "So, so sorry. I couldn't. I wanted — I couldn't. Are you all right? Alive. You're alive. You're all right?"

"Shh, Doctor. I'm home. I'm fine. Rescued myself as ever, hm?" She pulled back, looking him up and down. "What happened? Have you been sick? Jake and Pete said."

He needed to lie down. He needed — he needed her to lie down with him. Had he said it aloud? They were walking to the bedroom. He was collapsing onto their bed.

"Just go to sleep, Doctor." Rose settled next to him, pulled him into her arms. "We'll talk about it in the morning."

* * *

"You need a shower," she said in the morning. "Then, we're getting out of here and having a maid service come through while we get a proper breakfast. No arguments."

* * *

These eggs… were sensational.

"What did the Frungian marshall want?" the Doctor asked.

"There was a bounty," Rose said. "In Frungia. Because of the work we did with the queen before the coup."

"And how did you get away?"

"I saw his bounty list. Tons of war criminals; I have no idea how I rated with them. So I helped him get through about half of it. Told him about myself. And talked him into bringing me home."

"Rose Tyler," he said, voice warm. He looked up, found her reassuring gaze. "Jake said you were injured."

"Just a fracture. Bit of a rough reentry. Sounds like you had a worse time than I did. What happened?"

"When the Frungian marshall abducted you, they used a specialised form of retcon on me. I was supposed to forget you were gone altogether. Just carry on without you. I was fighting—" He stopped, shovelled more food into his mouth. "I was fighting it, but I was losing. Couldn't do anything but remember you were gone, but I had no idea where, and I just kept - I kept making up lies. I couldn't tell anyone, didn't know what was wrong. But I kept — I think I was trying to behave suspiciously. Tell them you were gone without telling them."

"Doctor, it was… the flat, it was scary. Did you eat anything? Sleep?"

He took a long drink of his water. "I'm not sure. Time sort of, well, stopped. I think I did, at first. But the harder I fought it, the less I really… I lost myself."

She put her hand over his. It was always warm, reassuring. Never before was it an anchor in quite this way. He pressed his hand over hers. Clasped. And then she leaned in and pressed her lips to his, in that gentle way she only did when she was still so, so worried about him.

"I found you, Doctor." She smiled. "And I always will."


End file.
